Reading Week

In the UK, students have a week off in the middle of both semesters called Reading Week. The idea is that students will use this time to catch up on reading, assignments, and such.  I find this to be a marvelous idea.  In reality, however, it seems that most students use this time to travel and party.  My mom (or 'mum' to the Brits) came to visit with me during Reading Week!  She hasn't traveled outside the country since my sister and I were little, and it has been about 22 or so odd years since she visited England.

Mom's visit killed two birds with one stone, if you'll excuse my cliche. She got to travel abroad with her free time now that she has sold her business, and she also got to kick my ass into organizational gear (I mean... see me. Yeah, see her daughter).

We did somewhat touristy things while she was here, but thankful nothing horrid.  I have a staunch aversion to anything touristy, which I think comes from growing up in a smaller tourist town.  Come summer time, people would flood into my hometown to visit the beach and generally make asses of themselves.  I'm not saying that all tourists are assholes, but that some are spectacular assholes. They'd come to my coffee shop and piddle around, comparing everything to how it is "at home" and leisurely enjoying their vacation.  London is no different, and this would be no problem is everyone was on vacation.  But everyone is not on vacation. So hurry your ass up, place your order, and get out of the way, because I have to get to work.  Stop gawking in the center of the sidewalk at Big Ben, if you want the perfect photograph go buy a postcard because you're blocking my way to class.

That rant aside, we did have fun.  The British Museum is always a classic, and the tour of St. Paul's Cathedral is lovely.

Mom also went with me down the Asda (Wal-mart) to get assorted things, like a frying pan and groceries.  I actually do love cooking, but having to buy utensils and such meant travelling out of my way and figuring out how to carry it all back on the bus without killing myself.  I also introduced my mother to the beauty that is the UK Kit Kat Bar.  I like American Kit Kat bars, but I looooove the British ones. They actually taste like good chocolate, rather than wax.

Long time, No see

I've been a bad blogger, but I have an excuse! Classes started and the metaphor of "hit by a bus" applies.  I am not entirely sure if it is because of the differences in the UK system or because it is graduate school, but there wasn't the slow and steady build up that I was used to. I also decided to take a class outside of my Masters program in beginner Arabic, so I have more than a full load to deal with.

I have learned a lot of things about living in London, but I also realize that everyone's experiences will be different depending on where they live and who they hang out with.

Eating out costs more here, but you generally tip less, so it evens out.

Walking is the cheapest mode of transport, followed by the bus, the the tube.  You tell yourself that you are going to walk places, then it gets cold and rainy so you take the tube everywhere.

A lot of things close earlier on the weekends, and there is a lot of repair work on the tube on the weekends.  Long story short: stay home on the weekends. Especially on Sundays.

Food tastes different here. Some better, some worse. It is almost like a game, Russian Roulette of food. Diet Coke is better here, Pepperoni is worse.

When you live in central London, going to the big grocery stores is an event.  I have to take the bus to get there, so I usually just walk to the local mini-Grocery.  It costs more and doesn't have as much, but it works.

That being said, when you live in central London you sometimes have to really search to find things.  Central London has everything, but it may not be conveniently located.  The local mini-Grocery only had one pack of tampons and they are the kind without applicators. They did, however, have Reese's cups, which I have been trying to find since I got here.

USA = frozen microwave meals galore. UK = refrigerated (fairly fresh) microwave meals.  I did find that strange.

You say "sorry" constantly, even if it is someone else's fault.  And you mind your own business. That part I love.  The Brits seem to have a "stay out of my way, I'll stay out of yours" motto of politeness going on.  You fall down, they help you up and everyone goes on their merry way.  In general, they are extremely helpful when need be.

Skincare products rock here.

In the morning you prepare for London weather as such: Look outside. Is it raining? If yes, then put on your raincoat and open your umbrella.  If no, then carry your raincoat and put your umbrella in your purse, because it probably will rain later.

"Dress in layers" is an understatement, especially if you are taking the underground.  It may be freezing outside, but the tube is always sweltering and stuffy.  Fainting can occur and make sure to carry extra powder with you, because you will sweat your makeup off.

They don't really use comforters in the UK, they use duvets.  Flat sheets are also considered somewhat old fashioned.

There is nothing in the world that can compare to Primark.

Everything is busy.  Living in central London means you will probably never be the only person in a bar or restaurant.  Coming from a small town, I only really had to make reservations on special occasions.  Here, it is common to make reservations for a weeknight dinner and to queue (wait in line) for an average restaurant for lunch.

Food tends to be healthier here. Saying that, you can eat absolutely horribly (and I do, lets not kid ourselves), with greasy kebabs and such, but there is a bigger emphasis on freshness and health.  I guess what I am saying is that if you want to eat healthy, it is easier here than in the States.

While credit cards are accepted most places, it seems that cash is still preferred.

Borough Market is the best and worst thing in the world, and everyone should try it.  I live near it, it is wonderful, but dear lord it can suck your money.

Wifi isn't as common here as it is the the States.  Places have it, but it isn't freakin' everywhere like I'm used to.  And sometimes you have to jump through hoops to sign on to it for a whopping 30 minutes. And sometimes it is terrible signal (I'm looking at you, University Library...).

Customer service tends to be pretty horrible by American standards.  Starbuck is hit or miss here, I do miss my American Starbucks, but that comes from working at one for almost six years.  People here tend to go for tea or real coffee, not frou-frou lattes.  I went to Costa coffee to study and got their seasonal Orange Mocha.  I was the only one with a very milky and whipped cream topped drink (there are extra taxes if you get food items "for here", and all drinks that are not takeaway ("to go") are made in ceramic or glass mugs).

That is all I can think of right now, considering I'm having a Ben and Jerry's sugar rush headache.

Love you.
Ali

Gardens and Pies

I think my current favorite thing about London is its green space.  It seems like anywhere they can, and even some places they probably shouldn't, the people of London plant trees and grass.  Trees are planted crammed in sidewalks and buildings attempt to incorporate the foliage in any way possible.  You'll be walking past high rises and pass the open gate to a small public garden wedged between a shop and an apartment complex.  These aren't half-assed green spaces either; the parks are well maintained, if not intentionally overgrown.

I have walked past St. John the Evangelist church and it's attached mosaic garden in Waterloo regularly to get to the Strand campus. I ducked inside the gate today to check out exactly what was going on back there in the little garden across the street from Britain's largest IMAX cinema.

In the back corner of the mosaic garden I ran into a man and his son sitting on a large mosaic bench.  They explained to me that this garden, and the bench they were sitting on, is dedicated to the homeless who live and die in the area.  The names of the local homeless who have died are written on the tiles of the bench by anonymous people. I couldn't get a full shot of the bench, because the man was sitting on it and I felt awkward taking a picture of him.  The following statue, with the owl, is a dedication to the pets (of the homeless, I believe) who have passed away.

After this I wandered down onto the Southbank to sniff out a small restaurant/food stand I had read about online.  Unsure of exactly where it was, I just started wandering through the crowds, figuring that I would happen upon it eventually.

I finally turned a corner and landed in Gabriel's Wharf. To my surprise, there it was! Pieminister!

I had been craving filling and meaty food, along with mashed potatoes. This is no surprise for all who know me, I pretty much could live off mashed potatoes and be satisfied.  I ordered their Shamrock Pie with mash and gravy, with a bottle of Victorian Lemonade to try.  The Shamrock Pie contained beef and Guinness gravy and could of easily been a meal by itself.  Add in the large quantity of mash and a good helping of gravy and I was stuffed.  The pictures don't look that glamorous, but I think anything covered in gravy isn't that photogenic.  I'm pretty sure even Angelina Jolie covered in gravy would be unappealing to the camera.

It was very hard to decide on which pie to get. They all sound so amazing.  The pie was huge and tasty, and the mash was very creamy with the wonderful gravy.  The Victorian Lemonade was a mildly sweet lemon-ginger soda, complete with pieces of ginger and lemon floating inside of it.  Actually really refreshing, I was pleasantly surprised considering that I am usually iffy about ginger in my drinks.  But oh, I will be back.  With their prices set pretty damn low for what you're getting, Pieminister will be seeing much more of me.

The Little Things

When I decided to move to another country for graduate school, I figured I would stick with one that spoke English, considering it is the only language I am fluent in.  I have taken Latin, French, German, and Japanese courses during my educational process, but all those fall somewhere behind Lumalier, Klingon, Quenya, and other fictional languages in comprehension.  I knew there would be some terms and phrases that would be unfamiliar to me on this side of the pond, but every now and then something new pops up that I was not expecting to be different.

Then I went to buy cleaning products.

Gearing up for Me vs. Tesco, round 1

I have to go easy with the shopping, considering that I'm not very big and I have to carry all my purchases on the bus back to my dorm.  Nothing like swinging a shopping bag and clockin' an old lady in the head.  Stay classy, Americans.

I, in my brilliance, decided to start my adventure during shopping rush hour.  Note to those who have never shopped in another country: you have no idea how much you stand and stare at shit you're unfamiliar with until you get in other people's way while doing so.  I, and probably most people, are so accustomed to seeing certain brands and branding that the differences in it spiral you pretty firmly into the 'culture shock' category.  In most places, the off-brand or store-brand items are styled similarly to the brand name, so you just have to glance for a common marketing theme.  Ain't no Windex here, guys.

This is not a diss at the UK and their cleaning products, this is making fun of me for being pretty incompetent and confused.

This is laundry detergent.  I know because I posted a picture of it on Instagram and received confirmation from my friend in Wales that it is the kind she uses. Before I picked this up I spent ten minutes staring at the "fabric conditioner" before I Googled it on my phone and realized that it was fabric softener.  Also, couldn't find dryer sheets.

You probably can't read that bottle due to the awesome mirror effect, but it reads "Washing up liquid". This, my friends, is dish soap.  Thankfully the cheap Tesco brand has pictures of glasses and plates on it to help me figure this out.  Other things I noticed about UK cleaning products: Awesome scents. I haven't actually opened any to see if they smell like what they advertise, but lime and lemongrass, blueberry, pomegranate and honey, cucumber and aloe.  Seriously!? Why don't we get these cool scents in cleaning products in the States?

As I was walking down the isle of Booze (Liquor in the grocery store? Be still my heart!), I came across this little bit of hilarity.  Is that a little kiddy milk carton? Nope! Mini-boxed wine.

I will be back to the Tesco this weekend to actually get food products, but I rewarded myself for my diligence (and stress) with a mint Aero bar. This is officially my favourite UK candy bar.

Video Update

Where They Charge for Water

When I was in the States I used to drink a lot. No silly, not booze (okay yeah, that too), just in general. When I ate dinner I would go through three or four glasses of water.  After one week in London, I've realized that that shit has got to stop.  Free refills are a thing of the past. Oh, and they charge for water. Tap water included, at most places.  I'm used to going out to eat like a poor college student, but there is a learning curve on what qualifies as "poor college student eating" in different counties.

After the Master's student meet-and-greet today (more free wine, woohooo!) I went with the only other person I've found from the entire Theology department to dinner.  Carefully examining the Thai menu, I realized that the only water offered, the tap water, was priced at £2.  This, along with the high price of alcohol, is why the vast majority of college students frequent BYOB restaurants that advertise "no corkage fee".  So my classmate, Em, and I bucked the trend and got mango juice instead for only 50p more.

So when in London, do as the locals do. Save some quid and skip the water: bring a bottle of booze instead.

PS- I swear I'm going to eat my weight in crunchie bars while I'm here.

My Funny Face and Sainsbury

PS: I got a cellphone too!